The Curse Of Monkey Island
by Milaya Milen Zeal
Summary: Based on a video game. Vegeta Threepwood has to save his future wife, who has been changed into a solid gold statue, but how far will he go? Is he ready to give his life for her by going to Blood Island?
1. Prologue

The Curse of Monkey Island

Prologue

It was a calm night on the Caribbean, the stars were out, the moon was full, and all was quiet. However, not too far away from an island named Monkey Island, a bumper car floated over the water, and on it, was but one passenger, writing in an old log. The man had black flaming hair and a pair of ebony eyes, and was dressed in some gray pants with some brown shoes, a white shirt, a brown vest, and a red belt around his waist and in his left ear was a single gold earring.

In the logbook he wrote: "Captain's log: Vegeta Threepwood. Lost at sea for days now. I have no crew or navigational instruments. No provisions except a half-eaten corn-dog and, unless I find water soon, I'm surely done for. Only the hope of finding my love Bulma keeps me going." He released a sigh.

"My quest for the fabulous treasure called Big Whoop has left me in this sorry state. I thought it would bring me fame and glory." He scowled angrily at the memory. "Instead, it delivered me into the clutches of my enemy, the zombie-pirate LeCold. I had thwarted his evil plot to marry Bulma and he was after revenge."

He stopped scowling and licked his dry lips. He gave a cough before continuing writing. "Really, really thirsty now. If only I could have a small drink of fresh water, I might have the strength to sail on." Unnoticed by him, a small bottle of Spring Water from Monkey floated by. "Oh, but I know there's nothing but ocean for miles and miles…

If I could reach land, I might find water and some food. Fruit, maybe…" A crate filled with all the fruit you can imagine drifted by, again unnoticed by Vegeta. "Something to fight of the scurvy and help me get my strength back. Mmmmmm… maybe some bananas…" At that particular moment, a crate of bananas strolled by lazily, but again, unnoticed by him.

Vegeta groaned. "Oh why do I torture myself like this? I might as well wish for some chicken and big mug of grog for the good it will do me." He didn't even hear the clucking sound of the chicken that sat on a big barrel of grog that happened to drift by.

"Oh, my sweet Bulma… am I cursed to starve here on this ocean… without seeing your face one more time? Am I--" Whatever he had been about to write was cut short by a cannon being fired, and not that far away either! I'll put it mildly; he was right between a giant fortress and a giant ship, of which the cannon was fired. But more followed after that. The ship appeared to have seen better days, but by the looks of the crew, it was in the best shape it could get into. For this wasn't just any ship! It was the ship of the zombie pirate LeCold.

LeCold growled from atop his ship and shouted: "Fire!" after which a cannon was fired.

A boy with diagonal black hair with a few blond strakes through it and dark blue eyes saw the cannonball heading their way and shouted: "Incoming!" His sister, a blond haired girl with black strakes and light blue eyes also noticed this, and ran away from the place of where it would hit, screaming her head off.

The tower of the fort was hit, and after the dust had cleared, it revealed a lavender haired woman with blue eyes, dressed in some light gray sweatpants, a white sweater with a brown muscle shirt over it, a green bandana over her head and a green belt around her waist. She had an earring in both her ears and she held a flaming torch in her left hand.

She placed a hand on her hip, sighed, and said: "How many times do I have to tell you LeCold? I just don't feel that way about you." Vegeta squinted up at the woman, smiled and said: "Bulma!" LeCold didn't seem too pleased with this answer.

"By my congealed blood, you'll learn to love me!" LeCold said to Bulma. "Sail with me and I'll make ya Queen of the dead!" Bulma jumped to right between two cannons in and seemed to really consider this, torch still in hand.

"I… I can't. I'm washing my hair tonight," Bulma finally said. Her eyes flashed to the cannon on her left hand, and hurriedly fired it, getting a direct hit at one of LeCold's skeleton herd, and LeCold was furious. "Blast be yer hair woman! Can't you see that this salty old sea-corpse pines for your every gentle caress?" he asked, and when Bulma didn't answer, he fired a cannon at the fort. It hit the wall of the fort, but no one was hurt.

"You know… I don't think my father would approve of me dating the undead-" Bulma said, before firing another cannon at the ship. "And you're probably too nice a zombie-pirate for me anyway--" she continued before jumping to another cannon and firing it. "…Let's just be friends instead," she finished, firing another cannon.

LeCold wasn't too glad about this. "Daaaaaaargh!" he cursed angrily. Bulma rolled her eyes and said with a scowl on her face: "Let's face it, LeCold. You're an evil, foul-smelling, vile, codependent villain and that's just not what I'm looking for in a romantic relationship right now."

LeCold looked confused. "Darn yer riddles, ya saucy female! What d'ya mean?" he asked, swinging his arms to the side. One of his skeleton herd walked to right beside him right as he swung his arms making his head fly off and clatter about shouting: "Ahhh! Ohhh!" as he finally came to a stop near a porthole.

"You're a blood-thirsty monster who's already kidnapped me once, tortured my friends… and taken from me the only man I ever loved; Vegeta Threepwood…" Bulma finished sadly, making Vegeta sigh.

The skeleton head that was still lying on the ground said: "Awwww… how romantic…"

Suddenly, he noticed the bumper car, and shouted: "Ship Ahoy!" making everyone look around in confusion, until LeCold also saw the bumper car. "Threepwood?!!!" he hissed, before grabbing a cannon and shooting at the bumper car, making it sink.

"Fish him out!" he ordered a few of his men, and as they did, Bulma was in a near state of shock. "Vegeta?!" she wondered aloud. "Vegeta Threepwood!" LeCold hissed. "By my gangrenous gut, I don't know how you escaped my carnival of the damned, but you won't escape the taste of my blade!" he shouted raising his blade above his head, only to have it shot right out of his hand.

"Daaaargh!" he cursed and looked back, only to see a devishly smiling Bulma blow some smoke from a gun she was holding. "Ooooh. The lass has spirit! Eh," LeCold said sarcastically. Vegeta smiled over at his first love, who smiled back, before LeCold shouted: "Throw him in the hold! I'll finish him after the battle." Before he knew it, Vegeta was thrown face-first into the hold, crashing with a loud thud. "Turn loose the longboats," LeCold shouted to his men.

They pulled the ropes, and they instantly, they fell down with longboat and all. "…And prepare the flaming, voodoo cannon-ball!" he said to one of his men.

********************************************

**A/N: You like? I wrote this part when I was away. Unfortunately, my friend didn't have email.**

**I hope people like it, I just thought of it one day… and did anyone recognize those two that ran away from the cannonball?**

**I might put peeps in the story who can guess either of them.**

**Ciao!**


	2. The Demise of the Zombie Pirate LeCold

Chapter 1; The Demise of the Zombie Pirate LeCold

Vegeta groaned as he sat up, rubbing his ringing head, before standing up and dusting the soot of off him. Through a hole in the side of the ship, he could see that Bulma's forces weren't doing so good. He stood up and cursed mentally. "I've got to get out of here and help Bulma!" he mumbled to himself, when he suddenly noticed a door. He gave a small smirk, before trying to get the door open.

This, unfortunately, didn't work. He growled. "If only I could get through this one door…" He gave it a good kick, and howled in pain. Mahogany, toughest wood you can get! "…Then I could easily overpower the armed guards above…" he mumbled while rubbing his foot. "…Slip over the side and make for the shore."

"Quit yer mumbling, captive!" a sudden voice said, making Vegeta jump. He had been so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't realize he wasn't alone. There was a pint-sized pirate with a fake eye patch, beard and hook standing in front of him. He had a chalk white skin, red cheeks and wore a black hat with a white feather on it from what must've been an exotic bird., and Vegeta had a feeling he had met this guy before.

Vegeta then noticed the cannon that was standing behind the small man, who had a gun aimed at him, before placing it away and turning to the cannon. He pulled a cord, and the cannon fire. 'Oh, the latest models…' Vegeta thought, taking a good look around.

There was a pile of cannonballs lying in one corner, above him was the hold (which was sealed off), behind him was the door, and on his right hand hung a ramrod. Vegeta had absolutely no idea why he did, but he took the ramrod, and dumped it easily in his pants, while the small pirate was hurling strings of curses at the people on the fort.

Vegeta sucked the inside of his cheek, before walking over and tapping the small pirate on his shoulder, who instantly turned, his gun drawn. "Stay away!" he warned with a venomous voice. Vegeta was more scared of the gun aimed at him than the pirate. There were numerous things he could say, but to start, he asked: "Aren't you a little short for a pirate?"

The small pirate snarled angrily and said: "Hold yer tongue, captive! Or I'll be holding it fer ya!" Vegeta looked disgusted at the idea and he made it very clear by what he said. "Eeewww!" The small pirate now held the gun more tightly, and Vegeta hurriedly searched ideas on what to say or ask. "You sound pretty tough." 'Oh real nice Threepwood!' he scolded himself.

The small pirate loosened his grip on the gun and said: "I'm so tough, in junior high, I stuffed Davy Jones in his locker." The grip on his gun didn't tighten like before, which was a good thing. The longboats were strolling toward the fort, so he needed the cannon. "Can I borrow you cannon for a second?" Vegeta offered weakly with a small smile and a shrug.

"No, ya scheming scalawag!" the small pirate cursed. "Ya scrappy scofflaw!" At this point, Vegeta raised a curious eyebrow at the pirate. "Ya steamin' soufflé!" "Hey! Wait a minute!" Vegeta said, placing a hand on his chin and an arm around his waist. "You're not a pirate…" His eyes widened as realization sunk in. "Chiaot Zu! Don't you recognize me?" he said with a smile. "It's Vegeta Threepwood!"

The young boy's face saddened and he lowered the gun. "Oh, gee…" he said, his voice a few octaves higher than it had been before then, which had made it so hard for Vegeta to realize who he had been. "Hello Mr. Wood," he said, waving his fake hook at him.

"The last time I saw you, we were prisoners in LeCold's dungeon," Vegeta said, his hands on his hips. His expression turned serious as he asked: "Why would you sign on with the ship of the living dead?" "Well, Mr. Wood…" Chiaot Zu said with his own high squeaky voice. "…At first I had some misgivings about it. But thanks to LeCold's seminars, motivational lectures, and audio books-on-parrot, I've become a vicious corsair! You can too!" Vegeta looked stunned. "Ask me how!"

Vegeta thought for a moment, before saying: "Tell me about these seminars." "The seminars really brought things in focus. You don't know how empowering it is, to be able to say to yourself, 'Yes. I am a despicable, filthy villainous pirate, deserving blame and censure, but THAT pirate, is who I want to be'. Everyone was really very supportive. We had this great feeling of synergy. Then LeCold kicked down the door and said; 'Ye lazy scum! Get back ta work or I'll beat you with yer own legs'."

Vegeta thought back to what Chiaot Zu had said before, before saying: "Tell me about these motivational lectures." "Well, they weren't lectures as such. It was what LeCold described as flogging the inner child."

"Tell me about these audio books." "To become a pirate, the audio books-on-parrot are the key. You get a set of twelve parrots, on a month. Return as many as you like. Keep them all and live. They teach you to talk just like a pirate! All the key phrases are in there! 'Blow the man down'. 'Shiver me timbers'. 'Who's a pretty bird?'. All the phrases a pirate needs to command respect on the high-seas!"

Vegeta gave a sigh and thought about changing the subject, so he said: "I'm not in the mood for sales hype." "Here," Chiaot Zu said, getting some literature from his pocket with his hook. "At least take this literature. You may change your mind." Vegeta gladly accepted and placed them in his pants.

Vegeta gave a sigh and looked back at the door. "What's behind that door?" he asked Chiaot Zu. "Oooooh! That's the door to LeCold's treasure hold. There's heaps and piles of gold and silver. He's brought all the loot he's ever stolen to give to Bulma. LeCold is convinced that he can buy Bulma's love." "Hmmmm…"

Curious after LeCold's plans he asked: "What are LeCold's plans?" "He's been working on a secret weapon. Some incredibly powerful cannonball. He's going to use it to blow down the walls of the fort, so his crew can overrun the island!" Vegeta gaped, this was going to get messy, and he had to get out of the ship immediately.

"Set me free Chiaot Zu!" Vegeta said, growing desperate to get out. "I can't Mr. Wood," Chiaot Zu said sadly. He scowled and said with that threatening voice: "I'm the evil pirate Bloodnose, now." He looked sad again and his voice also returned. "And besides, even if you got up on deck, LeCold would cut you to ribbons."

"Snap out of it Chiaot Zu!" Vegeta said, getting highly irritated. Chiaot Zu returned to his evil alter ego and hissed: "That's Bloodnose to you, ya scurvy sea-bass!" Vegeta growled; not only did he have bad insults, he also had a very stupid accent! Vegeta scowled and said harshly: "You're a failure as a pirate!" "Shut yer trap, ya yellow-bellied blowfish!" Chiaot Zu aimed his gun at Vegeta, who almost backed away. "One more peep out of you and I'll do ya in!" 'Oh, is that how you want to play it? Huh Chiaot Zu?' Vegeta thought with a very nice idea.

Shrugging, he said: "Peep."

"Ya scabrous swab! One more word and I'll let you have it!" "WORD!!!" "That's it! I'm gonna blast ya!" Vegeta put on a fake hurt look, making Chiaot Zu falter. "I'm gonna… I'm… gonna…" He sniffed sadly, a tear rolling from under his eye patch. "Oh, I can't do it! I just can't!" he sobbed sadly, throwing his gun out the porthole.

"You're right, Mr. Wood!" Chiaot Zu said, turning to Vegeta while removing his eye patch. "I'm just not a pirate! I'm not ferocious, or bloodthirsty, or hateful, or anything! I'm not even…" Another tear rolled down his face. "I'm not even unpleasant!" He fell to his knees and wanted to hide his face in his hands, but he still had that danged hook on his hand, so he shook that off first, before hiding his head in his head and crying.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

"Oh. There, there," Vegeta said, trying to cheer the young boy up, before picking up the plastic hook. When Vegeta looked out the porthole, he gasped as he saw the longboats approaching the fort. "OH SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!" He ran over to the cannon and manned it. There were four boats, and he didn't quite know how to shoot, so he first tried to one closest in range.

The skeletons instantly fell apart as the boat was hit. Bulma looked confused. "Alright! Who hit that boat over there?!" "Hey! You're getting a little close there pal!" one of the skeletons suddenly shouted, right before he screamed as his boat blew up. "Watch where you're shootin'!" another shouted before screaming as he fell in the water. "You're going to get us all killed! Agaaaaaaaiiiin!!!!" a last one shouted, before the last boat got blown up.

"Hey! I'm getting pretty good at this!" Vegeta said, smiling broadly. He walked over to the porthole, and cringed. "Ewww, gross… all the bones and stuff are floating towards the ship!" he said to himself. Seeing as he had to leave the ship, he tried crawling through the porthole, but the cannon was in the way. "I can't quite squeeze past this cannon."

He suddenly noticed an arm floating about, and a skull on a board. He got an idea! "Well, they've messed with the wrong skull this time! Ha Ha!" the skull said, while Vegeta got the ramrod and plastic hook from his pants, making a gaff with them. "If I could just get my hands on that gunner! If I could just get my hands, period!" the skull muttered as Vegeta reached over with the gaff and hoisted the arm in, which held a cutlass too!

"HEY!! That's my arm!" the skull screamed. "Give that back!" Vegeta simply grinned and watched the skull mutter to himself. "Ah well. I guess I'll just have to look on the bright side of this." Just to toy with the skull, he asked, while turning the skull, which had a few scars, to face him with the gaff: "Lose something?" with an evil grin on his face.

The skull scowled. "I am Yamcha! The invincible, demonic skull! Quake in fear mortal! For your insolence, I shall now devour you!" Vegeta sweat-dropped. "Uh-huh," he said sarcastically. "Could you…" Yamcha started. "…Er… Could you pick me up, so I can bite you?" he finally asked. "No." "I just thought I'd ask."

"You know," Vegeta said, a little bored, and looking like it as well. "You'd look great with a candle on your forehead." "I get the feeling you're not taking me very seriously," Yamcha said sadly. "No, I am. Really." "Really?" Yamcha asked, to which Vegeta nodded. "Then let me hear you scream in terror!" Vegeta was getting bored with this thing. "I'm too petrified to say anything," Vegeta said solemnly.

Yamcha began laughing and Vegeta quirked a curious eyebrow at the skull. "Why do you villains always laugh so much?" he asked. "I wasn't laughing about anything in particular!" Yamcha nearly screamed. "Somewhere, there's a fish nibbling on my foot and it really tickles!" Vegeta rolled his eyes in boredom.

"Can I call you SOB?" he asked. "You may call me Yamcha! I am a powerful demonic force! I am the harbinger of your doom! And the forces of darkness will applaud me as I STRIDE through the gates of hell carrying your head on a pike!" Vegeta looked him up and down and repeated: "'Stride'?" Yamcha growled and said: "Alright then, 'ROLL! ROLL through the gates of hell'. Must you take the fun out of everything?"

"It's been swell talking to ya!" Vegeta said. "Run, then! Run! Run away from the fearsome skull! Until you die, I shall revisit you in your most horrible nightmares!" Yamcha said and cackled maniacally, before saying: "HEY!!!" as Vegeta knocked him into the water with the gaff, leaving Vegeta grinning evilly. "See you in my nightmares Yamcha!" Vegeta taunted, placing the gaff away.

He went back inside to find Chiaot Zu still crying. Vegeta cracked all of his knuckles and walked around Chiaot Zu, moving to the cannon restraint rope. "Ha-ha!" Vegeta said, getting the cutlass from his pants. "Taste cold steel, feeble cannon restraint rope!" he said, before cutting the rope and placing the cutlass away. He walked over to the cannon and took the cord in his hand.

"Now," LeCold said, holding a green flaming boll in his hand." "With the demon flames of this voodoo cannonball, I'll blast my significant other into the significant otherworld!" He laughed loudly. "That'll show her how much I truly care--"

At that moment, Vegeta fired the cannon, and he was sent, with the cannon, straight through the door to LeCold's treasure hold, making the entire ship shake by the giant shock. "DAAAaarrr!!" LeCold hollered, trying to keep the voodoo cannonball in his hand, but no such luck. It dropped… but nothing happened.

Bulma had seen the ship shake, and wondered what was going on, when she heard LeCold say: "Ugh! Neptune's navel, that was a close one." The second he had pronounced the last word--- BOOOOOOM!!!! "Aaaah!

"Oh, NOOOO!!!" Bulma screamed, placing her hands in her hair and running out of the fort and to the beach while the ship capsized. 

When Vegeta came too, he noticed he was lying on the ceiling of the ship and staring straight at the night sky due to a whole on the bottom of the ship. He got up when suddenly: "HEY!!! I lost my cutlass when the ship capsized! DAMN! And I just had it!"

He looked around the treasures. There was a portrait of LeCold, a record collection, home appliances, a wreath that said: 'Marry Me… or Die', a music box, a teddy bear stabbed through the heart, a flotation device, and a few other stupid things! However, the only thing Vegeta took was a bag of wooden nickels. "Some treasure," he muttered, but once the bag had been picked up, he gasped. "There's a big diamond ring behind this bag!"

He had a nice idea what he would use it for. Two things actually. The first; was to cut a hole in the glass of the porthole he'd seen. Instantly, he was pushed to the wall by the huge amount of water pouring into the room. Hadn't it been for the flotation device, he would've died as the ship sank, while he rose through the hole in the bottom of the ship. Like that, he began to swim toward the beach, where he was awaited by…

"Vegeta?" Bulma questioned. "Vegeta! I thought I'd lost you forever. Is it really you?" she asked once he was standing across from her. "Yes Bulma," he said, kicking a small fish out of his pants. He placed a hand behind his head. "Umm… did you really mean what you said out there? … That I was the only man you ever loved?" he asked shyly.

"Uh… well… Yes, Vegeta, I guess I did," Bulma said just as shyly. "Bulma, I'm a man of action. A swashbuckler. A rogue. A wanderer! A man who can hold his breath for ten minutes. I have no ties and no regrets. I sail with the wind and go where adventure takes me. But somehow, something always leads me…" He didn't get to finish, because Bulma said: "Vegeta, stop babbling."

Vegeta sighed and got ready to do one last thing with the diamond ring he found. "Bulma, will you marry me?" he asked, showing her the ring, and Bulma was in heaven. He finally asked! He finally did! "Oh, Vegeta!" she said, allowing him to place the ring on her finger.

"Hi there!" a sudden voice said, and when the two looked, they both shouted: "CHIAOT ZU?!!" "You're alive!" Vegeta said. "Uh, but, how did you survive the explosion?!!" "I was thrown clear," Chiaot Zu said, smiling. "I'm just lucky I wasn't wearing my seat belt!" Chiaot Zu then noticed the ring Bulma had, and said: "Wow, Bulma! That's some ring!" "Thank you Chiaot Zu. It's an engagement ring from Vegeta," Bulma said with a smile. Chiaot Zu suddenly seemed to think, until he said: "You know? That looks just like the big diamond ring LeCold had in his treasure hold. You know, the one with that ghastly, disfiguring voodoo curse on it." Both Bulma and Vegeta paled. "Well, I'm sure Vegeta wouldn't have given you THAT ring. Anyway, I gotta be going," he said, and didn't notice the glare Bulma threw at Vegeta. "I hear there's a tattoo removal place on this island that's freckle-safe," he said, walking away. "See ya at the wedding!"

"Vegeta?!!!" Bulma said, and Vegeta backed away as Bulma made a move to punch him, before she changed into a solid gold statue!

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**


	3. The Curse Gets Worse - The Voodoo Priest...

Chapter 2; The Curse Gets Worse - The Voodoo Priestess

"Oh no!" Vegeta gasped. "Bulma!" He bit his bottom lip. "She's _not going to be happy about this." While he was there, he took a moment to look around. Behind him hung a banner which held a text which he couldn't read from the distance, so he walked over. "The Long John Silver Center for the Performing Arts presents 'Speare'." Beside it was a sign that said 'Welcome to Puorto Pollo, from the Plunder Island Poultry Brotherhood._

Above the sign stood an anchor with a chicken on it. Vegeta quirked an eyebrow and looked behind him. Yep. A dozen of chickens were roaming about. Vegeta then noticed a glowing ember, and picked it up, putting it in his pants, but not before saying: "OUCH!"

Instead of going to Puorto Pollo, he took a different direction, toward what appeared to be a swamp of some kind. On one of the trees, some carvings were made, which Vegeta gave one glance, and said: "Mysterious," before walking on again. 

Once he arrived, he sweat-dropped. There was a ship, up in a tree, and the hold was opened as if it was the door. The was a bridge in front of him that was made out of bones and there were skulls with candles on them standing on spikes beside the bridge, and two on a giant wooden like doorpost, but without the door. Above it was a bovine skull. "Hmmm…" Once Vegeta made a move to cross the bridge---

"BOOOOOOO!!!!"

Vegeta nearly jumped out of his skin, but when a certain laughing made it to his ears, he scowled angrily at the laughing skull atop a spike who was laughing his head off (lot literally of course!). He gave a sigh and said: "Oh, it's just you again." Yamcha smirked, and said: "Just your most terrifying image of evil revisited!" "Yeah, right." "I bring you warning from the infernal realms… do not go farther into the swamp! Turn back! Turn back! Darkness will envelop you!" Yamcha laughed maniacally again. Vegeta had never thought of seeing him again, and now, he was up there, but how the hell did he get up there in the first place?

"How'd you get all the way up there?" Vegeta asked. "Through sheer force of will," Yamcha answered. "Uh huh." "All right, it was a bunch of those weird voodoo kids. They found me on shore and put me on top of this spike, all the time thinking they were SO funny!!!"

"Do you need me to help you down?" "Help?!" Yamcha hissed. "I need no help from you foolish mortals! I am Yamcha! The all-powerful demonic skull!!" "Okay! Man, I just thought I'd ask." "Don't get me wrong; I do appreciate the offer."

"What are you doing up there?" "I am standing as a testament…" Vegeta looked the skull up and down and repeated: "Standing?" "…hanging as a testament to the power of the forces of Evil that will one day claim victory over the entire earth!"

"How long are you going to keep doing that?" "As long as it takes!" "Must get pretty dull up there, I suppose." "NEVER! The powers of darkness are never dull! We will one day prove that…" Yamcha stopped and sighed. "Oh, who am I trying to fool? I'm bored out of my skull! Figuratively speaking, of course."

"You seem restless." "Oh, I don't know. It's just that not many people come through this swamp." "What would you rather be doing?" "I need to be out among the lesser people, terrifying them and causing pain and misery!" "…_That would make you happy?" "Yes, happy in a dark, demonic way."_

"Do you know anything about lifting curses?" "Oh, right. I know a lot about lifting curses. That's why I'm a disembodied talking skull sitting on top of a spike in the middle of a swamp!!" "You seem bitter." "I'm sorry. It's been a rough day."

"Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but… uh… I've got to go!" Vegeta said, ending the conversation and running toward the ship before Yamcha could say anything else.

As he walked in, he instantly smelled all kinds of herbs and the sight of a real mess! Paper dolls were scattered all over the ground with pins in them, above him hung a steering wheel with candles, on his left hand was a big alligator with a pretty long tongue, for an alligator, and on his right was a gumball machine. Vegeta smirked and got the bag of wooden nickels from his pants. He chose his pack after throwing a nickel in, and indeed, a pack of gum came out. "WOW! I got a whole pack of gum!" he said, taking one out and began to chew.

"Hmmm… Vanilla!"

After blowing a few bubbles, he spit it out and looked at one special doll with a rather large pin in it. He picked it out of the doll, and somewhere, an old man said: "What a relief!" Vegeta looked around for something peculiar, and finally came back to the alligator's tongue. He examined it, before giving it a good pull, making a gong sound which made him jump back in surprise.

Before he knew it, he was face to face with a raven haired woman around his own age with beautiful brown eyes, and dressed in a white and red silken dress, who sat in a chair surrounded by candles. On her right hand was a strange pot of some kind.

Vegeta looked at her in confusion, before asking: "Who are you and how did you just appear like that?" With a clear and firm voice she said: "I am one gifted with the Second Sight, adept at manipulating the forces of nature for the benefit of all who enter my door." Vegeta thought about this and said: "You're a fashion consultant?" "Well, yes, but that was not what I was referring to," the lady asked, gaining an exasperated expression on her face. "I am a Voodoo Priestess."

She tossed something in the fire, making a poof of smoke appear, and Vegeta said but one word. "Neat!" "You're an 'autumn', by the way." Vegeta whistled. "You're good." "Thanks."

Vegeta studied her more carefully. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked. "We have known each other for a very long time, Vegeta Threepwood," she said, and Vegeta gasped. "You've been through much, so it is understandable that you have forgotten me. We met on Mêlée Island, when you were first trying to become a pirate."

Vegeta halted her by saying: "Hang on a second! Are we going to do one of those flashback things? They always make me nauseous." "No, I'll make this quick. I twice helped you defeat the evil pirate LeCold, first by preparing the voodoo anti-root…" Vegeta recognized this. "I'm starting to remember…" "And then again by helping you prepare a voodoo doll of his zombie form." Vegeta smiled as he remembered. "That's right!"

Vegeta's face turned serious as he said: "You've helped so much and I still don't know your name." The Priestess threw another thing in the fire before saying: "I am known by many names on many different islands. But names have little importance. You should know this better than anyone Vegeta Threepwood." "Yes you're right…" Something suddenly clicked in his mind. "…Hey! Are you making fun of me?" "I wouldn't dream of it," she said with a devilish glint in her eyes.

Vegeta looked around the room again and said: "Nice place. I love what you've done with it." "Why thank you. You'll have to excuse the mess. The kids came over to play with their paper voodoo dolls. They're adorable children. Would you like to see some pictures?" she asked kindly, and Vegeta cringed. He didn't want to see them. He wanted to scream one of the following things;

_NO!_

_No, please, no._

_For the love of all that is good and holy, NO!_

_I can't think of anything I would hate more!_

Vegeta cleared his throat and said: 

"Perhaps later."

"Yes, there's no time for that now. I sense that something terrible has happened." Vegeta gaped and said: "Hey, you're good! Something terrible HAS happened! I finally proposed to Bulma!" "Well, congratulations! That doesn't sound so terr…" she was cut off. "And when I placed the engagement ring on her hand she was placed under a horrible pirate curse and trapped for an eternity as a solid gold statue!"

"Ah," the Priestess said, throwing another boll in the pot. "THAT explains it. I was struck with a wave of overwhelming hatred and anger." "Yeah, that LeCold was a pretty mean guy!" "I was talking about Bulma." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "There's no time to worry about that now! We have to worry!" As he wanted to run away, the Priestess raised a hand and said: "Do not panic, Vegeta. She will be safe until we can break the curse…" This calmed him down, but what she then said certainly didn't.

"You only have to worry about her being stolen. Where did you hide her?" Vegeta's eyes went wide with horror. In all his hurry, he had totally forgotten that his fiancée was now a solid gold statue and that probably every pirate on the island was looking for something like her to sell. "OOOOH SHIT!!!!!" Without a warning, he ran out of the ship, and off to the beach where he had left Bulma.

The second he reached the beach, he gasped and hit the breaks. Bulma was nowhere to be found, and a ship was sailing away over the sea. "OH NOOOO!!! BULMA!!!!!" As expected, he got no answer. He growled low in his throat. "I've got to get her back! This is so embarrassing! Looks like I'm going to need some more help!" He watched the ship as it disappeared from his view, before silently walking back to the swamp.

When he got back, he didn't even acknowledge Yamcha. He pulled on the alligator's tongue, after which he faced the Voodoo Priestess again. "Someone's stolen Bulma!" he said sadly and desperately. The Priestess rolled her eyes. "_That is unfortunate. It will be difficult to get her back. "Do you know who kidnapped her?" "Not for certain. But I suspect that it's the mangy pirates anchored in Danjer Cove." "Can you give me something to lift the curse?" "No, LeCold's curse is a very powerful one fueled by his anger and his intense frustration in dealing with the opposite sex. I have nothing here to lift so powerful a curse, but there is one way."_

"GREAT! Tell me!" Vegeta said. "You have to replace the cursed ring with a pure one of greater or equal value. A good guideline is two months' salary," she finished with a sly grin. Vegeta was gaping. "I had no idea this curse stuff was so complicated," he muttered. "That's nothing," the Priestess chuckled, using her hand to muffle it. "Just be glad she wasn't turned into a magic swan!" Vegeta looked at her strangely. "What would I have to do then?" "You don't want to know. Believe me!"

He heaved a sigh and said: "Where am I going to find a huge, uncursed diamond ring?" "Legends speak of a whopping, big diamond ring on Blood Island." "Blood Island?? I've never heard of it." "You will soon become quite familiar with it. But you must be careful, Vegeta! I have foreseen that your journey will be filled with peril and deception. I have also seen that Blood Island will be the place… where you will die."

Vegeta gaped at her as if she was crazy. "And you're saying this is a place I should go?!!? What are you, nuts?!?!" "No. The value of the ring on Blood Island comes from its emotional significance. It represents a pure, true love, a power greater than any other." "Oh, that's sweet. I… I think I have something in my eye," Vegeta said a little mockingly. The Priestess instantly growled and hissed: "Do not mock the Voodoo Priestess!"

Vegeta was a little taken back, but he kept at it. "How do I get to Blood Island?" "You will need three things: a map to Blood Island, for the journey is a long and dangerous one… a seaworthy ship to take you there… and an experienced crew." Vegeta ticked on his fingers. "Map, ship and crew! Got it! Blood Island, here I come! Thanks for your help! Gotta go!"

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**


End file.
